Our Mission

The Center for Asian Health Research and Education was founded in October 2018 to provide a common place for research, education and clinical care support allowing disparate faculty, staff, community members and trainees to share ideas and common resources. Currently, there is a lack of resources and community. In particular, given the nature of Asian Health research, multi-disciplinary groups are needed.

At Stanford, no other centers are significantly investigating and developing educational/clinical care for Asians. Stanford has advantages over other Universities in this area of health research, education and care due to unique patient, faculty/staff and student Demographics, Disease, Epidemiologic/Health economics and humanities expertise.

Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month

The API Health Awareness campaign hosts events to increase discourse about API health issues ranging from hepatitis B to mental and sexual health, as well as raise funds for various organizations addressing these issues.

Asian Language Resources

Below are the current Asian-Language resources we offer, but we encourage you to visit the NIH website for the latest resources, as we are continually updating content. Please share them electronically or distribute them at your next community event.

For more resources on other health topics related to bones, joints, muscles, and skin, you can visit our website; or, subscribe to our Community Outreach Bulletin e-newsletter to receive regular updates. Let us know if you find these resources helpful or if you have ideas on how we can improve them.

Areas of Strategic Focus

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

South Asians (people from India, Paikstan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka) have a higher risk of heart and vascular disease than any other ethnic groups. There is a need for research in this area for effective ways to prevent and treat heart disease in South Asians, who may have different risk factors for heart disease than other ethnic groups do.

Cancer

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Asian-Americans. In particular, Asian-Americans have the highest rate of liver and stomach cancers. They are nearly three times more likely to develop liver cancer than non-Hispanic Whites, and twice as likely to develop stomach cancer. In the United States, Asian-Americans account for approximately half of chronic Hepatitis B cases, a precursor to liver disease and cancer.

Longevity

As life expectancy for people around the world continues to lengthen, we need innovative approaches to maintain physical and mental health throughout the lifespan. Asians comprise about 60% of the world's population, so it is especially important to ensure that we leverage the tools of precision to provide the best treatment possible for Asians.